Coal-storage plant.



PATBNTED APR. 7,1908.

E. G. VOLANS. GOAL STORAGE PLANT.

APPLICATION rmzn 5,111.29, 1906.

z SEEETS-SHEET 1.

rm: NORRIS PETERS 00., WASHINGTON, h. C

N 883,764. m'rfimnn APR. 7, 190a.

' E. G. 'VOLANS.

GOAL STORAGE PLANT. AIEI LIGA'IEION I ILED JAN.29, 1906 lzireafar:

z z faeasem c n M 1 a n 1 H u w m T 0 all whom it may concern:

ELMER G. VOLANS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

COAL-ST ORAGE PLANT Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April '7, 1908.

Application filed January 29, 1906. Serial No. 298,323.

Be it known that I, ELMER G. VoLANs, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Cleveland, county of Ouyahoga, and State of Ohio, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Coal-Storage Plants, of whichthe following is a specification, the principle of the invention beingherein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated ap lyingthat principle so as to distinguish it rom other inventions.

My invention relates to plants for storing and handling coal. It hasparticular reference to certain details of bin construction in acoal-handling system that is adapted for use in connection with theheating plants of oflice buildings and in analogous situations. Suchsystem as here developed comprehends means both for storing the coal andfor readily transferring it as needed from the place of storage to thefurnaces, to which it may be supplied in turn, either by mechanicalstokers or manually.

The object of my invention is to conserve space and avoid dust both ofwhich are hi hly im ortant desiderata especially in o ce buil ings.

Said invention consists of means hereinafter fully described andspecifically set forth in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detailcertain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed meansconstituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which theprinciple of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings :-Figure 1 is a vertical transverse crosssection of a bin in which is incorporated my improved construction; Fig.2 represents a rear elevation of the mechanism whereby the gatecontrolling the discharge openings of the bin are operated; Fig. 3represents a side elevation of the same mechanism; Fig. 4 is a verticaltransverse cross section of one of the gates;

. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the same on a smaller scale and turnedbottom side up; Fig. 6 is a plan view of one of the discharge openingsshowing a detail of the construction involved therein; and Fig. 7 showsa detail of construction of the gate opening mechanism.

As has been indicated my system of storing and handling coal is designedprincipally to meet the requirements of the heat and power plant of amodern office building. This usually involves the utilization of thesidewalk cellar on one or more sides of such building as a storagecompartment bothfor the storage of such amount of fuel as it is deemedwise to hold in reserve and for the current supply; it further involvesthe transport of the coal from such compartment to the boiler furnaceswhich are as arule more or less distant therefrom, inasmuch as they areplaced near the center of the building or else in its rear, for obviousreasons. This is the situation illustrated in Fig. 1. In such figure,the line A represents the outside of the wall of the buildin which formsthe inner wall of sidewalk-ce lar B. The outer earth-retaining wall O ofthe building forms the outer wall of the cellar, and ordinarily is on aline with the curb O as there appears. Cellar B is roofed over by thesidewalk B of which a portion only is shown in this figure. In suchsidewalk-cellar B are disposed as many compartments or bins D, one suchbin only appearing in the figure in question as the size of the plant,or the uncertainties of the fuel supply, determine to be necessary. Coalfrom bins D is designed to be received in cars E running on a track Fand thereby conveyed to the furnaces.

The storage compartment or bin D, as appears in the cross-sectional viewthereof shown in Fig. 1, occupies the major portion,

but not all, of sidewalk cellar B, a passa e way being left along theinner cellar wall. The outer wall of the bin is the substantiallyvertical outer wall O of the cellar; the inner wall of the bin is apartition erected between the outer wall C and the main building wall A.This partition comprises three sections, a lower vertical section M, anintermediate substantially horizontal section M, and an upper outwardlyinclining section M extending from the outer edge of such intermediatesection to wall A. The height of lower, vertical section M is such as tobring horizontal section M approximately on a level with the top of thecars E which serve to convey the coal away. The widths of suchintermediate section and of such car are further about the same.Accordingly, the tracks F being disposed alongside the bin and beneaththe overhanging portion thereof formed by the inner wall structure ofthe bin as just set forth, it is evident that a car standing upon thetrack will fit quite closely up against section M which forms thelateral projection of the wall. i

For the purpose of removing the coal V Across the corners at the forwardend of each opening D formed in the manner just described are securedtriangular plates m Fig. 6, that serve as sheer plates in the operationof closing the o enings, as will be presently described. T rough theseopenings D the bulk of the coal in bin D, when the same has been filled,will be automatically discharged by mere force of gravity. The

dotted line in Fig. 1 is intended to indicate approximately the line ofseparation between the art of the mass that will thus discharge ofitself through openings D and the part that will remain behind. Underordinary circumstances this last part, 'i. e. that which lies below thedotted line referred to, remains untouched; in other words itconstitutes the reserve supply to be used only in case, for some reasonor other, the current supply fails. Such current supply is broughtweekly or oftener, depending upon the size of the bin which in turndepends upon the size of the cellar, is dumped into the bin through thesidewalk until such bin is filled, and is then drawn ofl as neededthrough openings D as long as it feeds down of itself. In case of anemergency re uiring the use of the reserve stock, the coal as to beshoveled out of the bin by hand through openings D.

Openings D are controlled by means of slide-gates D Figs. 5 and 6. Toaccommodate these gates a guideway is provided on each side of therespective openings. Such guideway, I form, Figs. 3 and 4,'by securingangle bars m 'to the bottom of plates m. The slide gates accordingly liebeneath sheer plates m in front as beneath plate m in the rear while thetop guide formed by the upper of angle bars m prevents upward springingor displacement of the gate racks d, Fig. 5, attached to the bottom ofthe gate, one on each side. Additional stiffness is given the gate byangle bars d secured transversely across each end of the same.

' Racks (2 are designed to be engaged by the pinions of a gate-actuatingmechanism D Fig. 1, whereby the gate is opened and closed. Suchmechanism D comprises, Figs. 2 and 4, a shaft d mounted transversely ofthe gate in suitable bearings d provided along the rear edge ofpartition member M, two ratchet wheels d having oppositely disposedteeth, mounted upon such shaft levers (if provided with pawls (1 adaptedto operatively engage the respective ratchet wheels;

and two sets of gearing, each including two or more pinions (1 one ofwhich is mounted on the shaft (1 the other of which turns on a fixedaxis and engages the rack d on the cor responding side of slide-gate DIt is preferable to employ at least one intermediate pinion d in orderthat ample clearance may be allowed for the passage of the gate aboveactuating mechanism D while still allowing such mechanism to be placedwhere it can be easily reached. Ratchet levers d when not in use aresecured close against wall section M in the usual way by means of links(i Fig. 4, pivotally attached to such wall section and adapted to dropover the outer end of the lever. Similarly, in order to retain the pawlof the lever not in use from engaging its ratchet and so locking shaft dagainst rotation, I provide on each lever d Fig. 7, a hooked member, orcatch (1 adapted to secure such pawl in an inoperative position.

Having thus described the several parts that go to make u my improvedcoalhandling plant, I sha 1 now proceed to indicate its general schemeof operation, as well as to more fully explain the operation of theparts than was possible in the structural description given above. Ithas been explained how the storage bin D is designed to contain both thereserve stock and the current supply of coal. Assuming, then, that thecurrent supply is in, to transfer such supply to the furnaces a car E isbrought on track F beneath one of the discharge openings D of the bin.The car section being slightly larger than the opening, and its topfitting closely beneath the overhanging portion of the bin, it isevident that upon Withdrawing slide gate D from such opening the carwill be at once filled but not overflooded even if the gate be notimmediately closed again. In closing the gate which, it is seen, has tocut its way directly through the mass of coal that has discharged intothe car and is continuous with that still in the bin, the efficacy ofthe gate construction previously described becomes manifest. The rackbeing on the underside of the gate is not clogged up, and the heavierthe load on the gate the better the engagement of the rack with theactuating pinion; further, the use of sheer plates in the forwardcorners of the opening detail, that which I particularly point out anddistinctly claim, 1s':

1. The combination with an overhead storage bin having a dischargeopening on its under side, of a straight plate bounding each side ofsaid opening, and a sheer plate fitted in each of its two forwardcorners, angle bars secured to the under side of said side plates andforming guideways, and a gate slidably mounted in said guideways andadapted to close said opening.

2. The combination with an overhead storage bin having a dischargeopening on its under side, of a straight plate bounding each side ofsaid opening, and a sheer plate fitted in each of its two forwardcorners, angle bars secured to the under side of said side plates andforming guideways, a gate slidably mounted in said guideways and bearinga rack, a pinion engaging said rack, and a ratchet connected to rotatesaid pinion.

Signed by me this 27th day of January, 1906.

ELMER G. VOLANS.

Attested by D. T. DAVIES,

JNo. F. OBERLIN.

